The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel

Reviews (See all 2,805) Write a reviewfor this

• 
  

  I'm so utterly confused by this book! I have kept silent for over an hour now, trying to reconstruct the puzzle with the pieces I have. I feel that pieces are missing! But that might well be the power of it all. The fact that the irreality has suffused with the reality, obliterating certain pieces and giving you others that would never fit into the puzzle before you.

  May Kasahara has to be one of the best characters ever written and I have thoroughly enjoyed her letters - wherever they di... (show more)

  I'm so utterly confused by this book! I have kept silent for over an hour now, trying to reconstruct the puzzle with the pieces I have. I feel that pieces are missing! But that might well be the power of it all. The fact that the irreality has suffused with the reality, obliterating certain pieces and giving you others that would never fit into the puzzle before you.

  May Kasahara has to be one of the best characters ever written and I have thoroughly enjoyed her letters - wherever they did end up. The gruesome stories hailing from the Asian continent left me cringing and covering my eyes - of course, this did not stop the images in my head from going away; all it did was stopping me from reading, which I did NOT want to do.

  The many, many characters in this book make the story come alive. I think I've felt myself draw into seclusion the last couple of days, climbing down my own ladder, reading and fitting into Okada's mind. I felt from the beginning the mysterious woman had to be Kimoko herself, and/but even though the novel's end seems to reinforce this thought, I am left puzzled.

  This book will have me thinking for many a day or even week to come. I just try to get the meaning of it all, even the superficial facts. I loved it, though, and it has opened up a new form of reality. This book was paired with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by publisher Vintage and I see the striking similarities - what is real and what is not? - as well as the obvious differences, set in such different worlds with such different people.

  Amazing. (show less)

   

   

  by Keye Tersmette on Feb 13, 2009 at 04:36AM

  Already read

  Is this review helpful? yes no
   
• 
  

  Actually, I'm going to out on a limb and say this is one of Murakami's weaker novels. Sure, everything he is known for is thrown together in this smorgasbord, but in all it's too much and key parts seemed too rushed. The emotion just seems too apathetic and that's saying a lot when it comes to Murakami characters. Toru is a loser and that fact is laden on and on and on through out so that there's no question or even any sympathy for him. The only intriguing characters are the Kano sisters... (show more)

  Actually, I'm going to out on a limb and say this is one of Murakami's weaker novels. Sure, everything he is known for is thrown together in this smorgasbord, but in all it's too much and key parts seemed too rushed. The emotion just seems too apathetic and that's saying a lot when it comes to Murakami characters. Toru is a loser and that fact is laden on and on and on through out so that there's no question or even any sympathy for him. The only intriguing characters are the Kano sisters and May Kasahara, as the other characters seem too bland or are never explained very well (Cinnamon I'm looking at you). Don't get me wrong, the book is dreamy and surreal and at times, occasionally philosophical. And the scenes do stay with you (poor elephants!). But in Murakami style the plot is substituted for a lot of subterfuge and the climax never feels like a true victory for anyone (including the reader). Skip this one and go to Kafka on the Shore if you want emotion or A Wild Sheep Chase if you want plottyness, but if you want true Murakami you better pick this up and hopefully just enjoy the ride. (show less)

   

   

  by Kailana Kahawaii on Jul 27, 2009 at 05:42AM

  Already read

  Is this review helpful? yes no
   
• See all reviews
  Write a review